Meet the People Putting Their Bodies on the Line to Protest Brett Kavanaugh

They sleep in churches, Airbnbs, friends' couches. They train and strategize with constituents from all over the country to meet with their representatives, agitate and disrupt. They occupy offices, Senate buildings, streets. Organizations like the Women’s March, the Center for Popular Democracy Action, and NARAL host events, speeches and marches. Since the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh commenced on September 4th, Americans have been converging on Washington D.C. for more than a month, all in an effort to make their voices heard about their opposition to Kavanaugh's appointment.

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During this time, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s story of sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh was published in the Washington Post, only galvanizing the women’s movement further; the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements mobilized, and more protesters have traveled to Washington D.C. to continue the fight.

Today they will meet for a large-scale protest at a courthouse in Washington D.C. Celebrities like Alicia Keys and Maggie Gyllenhaal will attend. But the activists below have been out there all along. Ahead is a series of portraits and interviews taken on the day of and after Dr. Ford’s testimony, Sept. 27 and 28. They represent just some of the disrupters that have been doing the real work over the past few weeks to fight for our basic human rights.

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Deborah Harris: I've been arrested at least five times, I believe. It's not just one issue. I'm someone who lost her health care who still needs three mammograms as I was being tested for breast cancer. So it's health care reasons. When I look at friends of mine that have been victims of gun violence, it's gun violence reasons. I think about people and my family and close friends of mine that have been molested as children. It's about voting rights. I feel like Brett Kavanaugh is a combination of all these things. He is a threat because I feel like he's like the nail in the coffin if he gets confirmed.

Kisha Bari

I'm a survivor of sexual violence myself. And I remember the sickening feeling that I had. And this feels the same. It really does.

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Kim Russell:I have a 12-year-old daughter. I just can't imagine her growing up in a world as a young woman without the same rights that I have. You know? We can't go back. On so many levels, not just on a right to govern our own bodies but also on the issue of guns. Brett Kavanaugh feels like an assault rifle is just common and too common to regulate, and that's absurd. As far as guns go, he stands far right of Scalia. He is the NRA’s top guy! They’ve spent a million dollars on ads trying to get him appointed. He's their guy! Gun reform matters to me as I survived a shooting. I watched my friend die right next to me. I became activated to fight for better gun laws after Sandy Hook. I've been working so hard to pass reasonable gun laws, and we've had some successes in the states. But if Brett Kavanaugh is appointed, those could all just vanish.

Kisha Bari

I have a 12-year-old daughter. I just can't imagine her growing up in a world as a young woman without the same rights that I have.

On Thursday, Oct. 4, there will be a mass mobilization in Washington D.C. at Judge Kavanaugh's court, The E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse, organized and led by many of the people in this series, including the Women's March, the Center for Popular Democracy Action, National Action Network, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Ultra-Violet PAC and more. Go to www.cancelKavanaugh.com for more info.

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